The purpose of route numbering is to aid motorists in navigating Victoria's complex and diverse road network. This is achieved by the use of route shields and alphanumeric route numbers.

Victoria's current system consists of five main types of route numbering: - Metropolitan Routes in Melbourne metropolitan area; - Statewide Route Numbering Scheme in the regional Victoria; - Tourist Routes for roads through tourist regions; - Over Dimensional Routes for larger vehicles; and- National Routes

National Routes only exist in the Melbourne metropolitan area - their regional counterparts have been incorporated into the Statewide Route Numbering Scheme.

Three entire systems have been decommissioned - National Highways on interstate routes in 2009; Freeway Routes on Melbourne's freeways in 1989; and State Routes in regional Victoria in 1996. The routes in the Freeway Route Numbering System were incorporated into the Metropolitan Route Numbering System and National Route Numbering System, while State Routes were replaced by the Statewide Route Numbering Scheme.